After Hungarian title, Manaskov wants Champions League trophy

He is one of the standout players of Macedonian handball, thanks to his brilliant technique. When Dejan Manaskov joined Telekom Veszprém HC in 2017, the Hungarian powerhouse took advantage of his fast-break reactions.

He is also making good use of almost any kind of pass he gets from his teammates. The variation of shots in his repertoire enables him the left wing to score even from very difficult angles, making him one of the favourite players among Veszprém fans.

"This club always aims high"

“Although we lacked achievements last year, I can personally say that I’m satisfied from the performance showed on court,” says Manaskov, whose contract was extended for two more seasons.

“This club always aims high as victories are always in the focus. We are all professional players and we have to deal with this positive pressure,” he adds. “I feel very good at this club and I am happy that I will wear this jersey also next season.”

Apart from qualifying for the VELUX EHF FINAL4, Veszprém also reclaimed the title in the domestic championship from MOL-Pick Szeged. Credits for the 27^th national title belong to head coach David Davis, who took over the team in October.

“David Davis was assistant coach when we were both part of Vardar,” Manaskov says. “Now he has the role of head coach and I think that he is doing his job very good. We all share playing time and the atmosphere in the club is very positive thanks to his great coaching skills.”

"This means a lot to the fans"

Hungary always has a special focus on the national championship and the rivalry between Veszprém and Szeged.

“This means a lot to the fans and people that are part of the club as well as the entire city,” Manaskov says. “Of course we are very happy that after one year we have won the title in the Hungarian championship back.”

During the group phase of the VELUX EHF Champions League Veszprém claimed second spot in Group A. The semi-final draw paired them with PGE Vive Kielce again - the team they defeated twice in the group phase.

For Manaskov the VELUX EHF FINAL4 is special because he will have his debut in the LANXESS arena in Cologne. He believes the match against Kielce (on Saturday at 15:15 hrs, live on ehfTV.com) will be decided on small details.

“We won two matches in the group phase against Kielce but both matches were very tight,” he says. “In Cologne there are no favourites and everything can happen. We are focusing on our game and aim to go one step further.”

"Every player dreams about playing in Cologne"

The left wing is reluctant to speculate about Sunday’s winners.

“It's hard to predict who will raise the trophy at the EHF FINAL4 tournament. We are speaking only about two matches and all teams have equal chances,” Manaskov says.

“I am personally very happy that I will debut at this event because every handball player dreams about playing in Cologne and aims to reach this level in his career," he adds. "This will be my first participation and my hopes are that the Hungarian championship title will be completed with a title in the Champions League.”